Princess Eugenie made a bold statement with her choice of bridal gown, designed by Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos, for her wedding to Jack Brooksbank at Windsor Castle Friday.
The dress, a long-sleeved ivory gown with a flowing train, folded shoulders, and a low back, revealed scars from a back operation the princess underwent aged 12. With no veil, she chose to accessorize with the Greville Emerald tiara (borrowed from her grandmother, the Queen). Her shoes, hidden from view, were designed by Charlotte Olympia.
Eugenie hinted at the design of her dress in an interview broadcast on ITV earlier Friday, when she spoke about the importance of changing people’s conceptions of beauty.
“I think you can change the way beauty is, and you can show people your scars and I think it’s really special to stand up for that,” she said.
Eugenie is a patron of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in London where she had her surgery as a child. Several representatives from the charity were invited to stand inside the grounds of Windsor Castle along with representatives of other charitable organizations supported by the couple.
Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos founded the British based label Peter Pilotto in London in 2007. Eugenie worked closely with Pilotto and De Vos on the design of the gown, according to a statement from the Royal Family.
The fabric was designed by the pair in their studio in East London. It includes a number of symbols that are meaningful to Princess Eugenie as motifs, including a Thistle for Scotland, The Shamrock for Ireland, The York Rose for England and The Ivy representing the couple’s home.
For many celebrities in the public eye, choosing a dress designer is as much a political statement as it is style decision.
Pilotto and De Vos are an unlikely choice, as they not known for their wedding designs. However, they do fit the brief for their role in the British fashion industry. Many speculated the bride would choose a UK-based designer.
Some thought she might choose a designer known for sustainability.
